He and his team were good at what they did, but they weren’t good enough to fight a group of men like Bastion, whose skills made his crew look as if they were playing a game of tag in the middle of a busy freeway.
Addy finished up in the greenhouse as quickly as she could. She filled a basket with the produce she’d harvested for the day. After she took it in to Russ in the kitchen, she washed her hands and went into the living room. She was jumping out of her skin, dying to share her news with someone. She didn’t have to wait long; Mandy was the second person to come for the noon meal.
“I’m so glad I’m not the first person here,” Mandy said, smiling. “I already hit Russ up for a snack an hour ago. They’re going to start deducting a food stipend from Rocco’s pay before this pregnancy is over.”
Addy laughed. “How are you feeling?”
“Right now? Starved.” Mandy chuckled. “Overall, though, not bad for a first pregnancy and knowing nothing at all about what to expect.” She tilted her head as she studied Addy. “You look awfully happy.”
“Owen and I are getting married. I mean, we knew we would, but he wants to set a date.”
Mandy let out a shout of delight and hugged her. “That’s wonderful news! I’m so happy for you both. And the boys. This will be great for them.”
Addy, still holding Mandy’s hands, nodded vigorously. “Sometimes it’s hard to understand how everything has turned around for us. I’d given up on him and my dreams and any kind of a future that I wanted. And now this.”
“Oh, stop it.” Mandy pulled her hands free to wipe her eyes. “You’re going to make me cry. I cry at everything now. You’re just proof that miracles do happen. And since we’ve been through so many weddings already, we’re expert at doing them. We’ll have to get with the others and put a plan together.”
“I’d love that. Owen wants us to hire a wedding planner to do most of the work, just to make it easier on everyone.”
“Not necessary. We can do it—but, of course, it’s your choice.”
“We’ll talk. I think I do want to go that route, but it still means I need a lot of help selecting a planner and making different choices of things.”
“What date where you thinking of?”
“We’ll set one as soon as we find an event planner who can do it quickly. A couple of weeks? Three, maybe?”
“That could be tight for a planner, but we’ll help you find one who can take it on. Ivy knows a lot of them.”
“Ivy knows a lot of what?” Ivy asked as she came into the living room.
“Addy and Owen are getting married as soon as possible and want to hire a wedding planner,” Mandy replied.
Ivy’s whole face brightened as she turned to Addy. “You guys are ready to set a date?”
Addy laughed and nodded as Ivy hugged her.
“Oh, we have so much to do!” Ivy said.
“We don’t want this be a burden,” Addy said. “We’re hoping the event planner can take most of it on.”
“But we still have to settle on decorations, menus, dresses—all of it!” Ivy stopped and gave Addy a wary glance. “You will let us help you, won’t you?”
“Yes. Please. We’ll decide what we need to, then hand it over to the planner to execute.”
“When were you wanting to do this?” Ivy asked.
“ASAP,” Mandy said, chuckling as she linked her arm through Addy’s.
“Owen suggested having Val’s friend bring up some options for our dresses,” Addy said. “So after we settle on a wedding planner, I think that would be the next step. And then Owen and I have to go shopping for rings, but I think I found the one I want.”
“Did you?” Mandy asked, excitement in her eyes. “What does it look like?”
“I’ll show you.” Addy went over to a stack of magazines that still sat on top of one of the side tables in the living room. She was glad Jim hadn’t cleared them away—he’d seen her looking at them several times. She grabbed the one with the jeweler’s ad. “Here it is.”
“Ohhh. Very nice. And they have a store in Boulder.”
“Right.” Addy nodded.
“You could borrow my aquamarine necklace and earrings—knock out something borrowed and something blue at the same time!” Ivy offered.
“Well, whenever you’re ready to go down there,” Mandy said, “just let us know. We can take care of the boys.”
Addy looked into Mandy’s green eyes as a stunning realization hit her: she had friends. Real friends—people who hadn’t known her before a couple of months ago but who would drop what they were doing to help in any way that they could. How rare and wonderful was that?
“Thank you.”
Others came into the room then, and each was given the news. Hugs and chatter and happy tears were everywhere. In the midst of the mayhem, she looked up to see Owen watching her with his somber eyes. Seeing her, a smile eased his expression.
He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. “Jax will be coming out for the wedding.”
“That’s good news. So why the worried face?”
He shook his head then kissed her forehead. “That’s just my resting happy face. You know. For show.”
Owen went back to work in the den after lunch. He nodded at Kelan, the last of the group to come through on their way to the bunker.
Kelan paused before leaving the room. “Hey—I wanted to say congrats to you. I’m glad you and Addy are getting married. Do you know when the wedding’s going to be?”
“We’re still talking about that.”
“Have you written your vows?”
“No. I have to write vows?” Owen frowned. He caught the shift in Kelan’s demeanor. “Fucking tell me, K. Is there something I’m supposed to do that I don’t know about?”
“Your wedding is your wedding. It isn’t for me to tell you how to do it.”
Owen sighed, then came around his desk to lean against its edge. “No, it isn’t. But you have an opinion?”
Kelan made a face as if he was hesitant to say anything. “Ceremonies are important, Owen. We don’t go through life alone—our ancestors and spirit guides travel through it with us. Our ceremonies deliver important messages to them.”
Owen crossed his arms. “I don’t know my ancestors. Or about any spirit guides.”
“Yes, you do. Our research into the Omnis has uncovered much about them and their place in the resistance. You are the son, grandson, and great-grandson of fighters. You are what you are because they were what they were. Your wedding honors them as much as it does you and Addy. This is not a casual occasion.”
“Shit.”
“And Addy has been through hell.”
“As have I without her.”
“Mm-hmm, but you’re a warrior. It’s your job to carry hell on your shoulders.”
Owen sighed and rubbed the space between his eyes. “So what do I do?”
“You write the words that speak from your heart to hers. And you say them in front of us to show her how you honor her, to show her that we also honor her.”
Owen nodded at the wide leather cuffs that Kelan wore on his wrists. “You haven’t made your vows public.”
“No, because the claiming ceremony was between me and Fiona. When we marry, we’ll share our public vows.”
Owen held Kelan’s gaze. “So I have to make a show out of this wedding.”
“It isn’t a show, it’s a reveal. You bare your soul to her and she to you. And we are your witnesses. I’d help you with this, but only you can come up with what you wish to reveal. It’s your words and your emotions—it’s all you. And all Addy.”
“Okay. I’ll give it some thought.”
Kelan gave Owen a sympathetic smile, then left him alone in the office. Owen considered his advice. He couldn’t really argue with Kelan. He didn’t know about the ancestors part, but he did agree that Addy deserved a day honoring her.
Hell, she deserved a lifetime of being honored.
2
Addy was overwhelmed at how fast things were moving forward with her and Owen’s wedding. With Ivy’s help, they’d hired an event planner that was able to make things happen in just weeks. It helped that they were past the holiday wedding season and still well before the major spring season.
All the logistical decisions had been made and the planner was progressing well with the project. Addy couldn’t wait to see it all come together.
Val’s friend had come up with two vans full of dress and accessory choices for them. Among the offerings, Addy found her perfect dress. The seamstress she’d brought with her had adjusted it for her during the same visit, which made the whole process so much easier.
Addy had considered getting tuxes for Augie and Troy, but Augie wanted to wear the same outfit the cubs were wearing—a blue blazer, white shirt, and khakis. And, of course, since Augie was wearing that, Troy wanted to wear his. That made their attire something simple to handle.
Addy and Owen were finally about to head to Denver to meet with the jeweler she’d selected. She’d barely been able to sleep for the excitement. She went outside to find him waiting for her next to one of the team’s SUVs.
She smiled as she stood next to him, giving herself a chance to catch the moment in her mind. A decade ago, when she was taken from him, they’d both given up on their dreams of building a future together, yet here they were.
She set her hand on his chest. She’d had her nails manicured with a pale pink gel and white tips just for the occasion. He reached up and wrapped his hands around hers. So warm.
“Can you believe we’re actually doing this?” she asked.
He shook his head. “When Ace let it slip that you were still alive, I was shocked.” He kissed her palm. “And then all the anger, the hope, the fear that followed—all of it was crippling.” He touched her cheek as he stared into her eyes. “You’re as beautiful now as you were when they took you from me. It’s humbling getting a second chance. Most people don’t after a loss like we suffered.”
He leaned down to kiss her. She had to find a way to quit looking at all that had been stolen from them—all those empty years. She saw the same struggle in his eyes and forced a smile.
“This will be a good day,” he said. “We can have lunch while we’re in Boulder. A whole day, just you and me.”
She nodded. “Ivy and Mandy volunteered to help Wynn with the boys, so we don’t have to hurry home.”
Owen stepped back and set his hand on her door. “Then maybe we’ll do dinner out somewhere too.”
“Like regular people do.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Like that.”
Addy hadn’t spent much time at all out in the public in the ten years since her abduction. There’d been social events—at her home and others—but she’d tried to avoid as much as she could of them; they were never pleasant experiences.
It gave her no small anxiety being out in the wide open, walking in the winter sun, people all around them. Passersby checked Owen out, even though they were holding hands. Addy couldn’t blame them—he was a gorgeous man, tall and hard to miss with his blond hair and pale eyes. She was just glad they weren’t staring at her.
When they reached the jewelry store, Owen held the door for her. One of the salespeople came forward to greet them. Owen told her they had an appointment with the store manager. They were taken to an office in the back. It had no windows to let the sunshine in, so the room was only dimly lit by a single desk lamp.
It wasn’t a large space, but it was filled with a lifetime of collected treasures. Glass barrister shelves lined one wall and were filled with large rock and crystal specimens, art glass, and cloisonné dishes. An old Persian carpet covered the floor. Two club chairs sat before an antique library table. Framed photos around the room showed celebrities who’d apparently purchased their jewelry from this store, all of them featuring a happy man, slightly short and a little rotund. In the older pictures, his hair was black, but in more recent ones with celebrities Addy recognized, his hair was salt and pepper. The room itself had a distinct scent of unsmoked tobacco and sandalwood. On the desk were various tools of a jeweler’s trade: loops, microscopes, ring sizers.
Addy folded her arms and sent Owen a glance. He gave her a reassuring smile. “This store and its employees and owner were fully vetted. You’re safe here.”
“It’s like another world.”
Owen nodded. “Not what I was expecting.”
She took his hands. “I hope I can find what I’m looking for here.”
“If not, we’ll try someplace else. If we have to use temporary rings for the ceremony, that’s what we’ll do. I don’t want you to settle for anything less than exactly the right ring.” He smiled at her.
She was so in love with him—it sometimes just stole her breath.
The storeowner joined them then. He was as jolly as he seemed in his photos. He congratulated them on their engagement, then spent the next half-hour telling them stories from the celebrity engagements he’d been part of.
“Now, Ms. Jacobs, I understand you’ve come to see our selection of aquamarine and diamond engagement rings.”
A staff member brought in two black velvet trays and set them on his desk.
“Why don’t we have a seat and design your perfect ring?” the owner said.
Addy exchanged excited glances with Owen, then took the seat he held for her at the owner’s desk.
Two days later, Addy was in the kitchen decorating a cake Russ had made for Jim’s birthday. He’d made two, actually. A big sheet cake, which she’d already decorated, and a personal-sized layer cake that was just for Jim.
Addy looked up as Augie came into the kitchen. She smiled at him. He gave her the same odd look that he’d often had since his return, like his skin didn’t quite fit him anymore.
“What are you doing?” he asked, sitting on a stool. He propped himself up on his elbows to look over the counter.
“I’m decorating Jim’s birthday cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. We have vanilla and chocolate ice cream to go with it.”
He sat back and looked at her. “You used to do that for us. I forgot about that.”
Addy kept her face relaxed despite his stricken expression. “I did. Even when you were gone, Troy and I would have a birthday party for you. I didn’t want him to forget you.”
“What happened after I left that day, Mom? Cecil hit you so hard. When they told me you were dead, I believed them.”
She nodded. This conversation had been a long time coming. She’d wanted to have it so many times, but always hesitated to start it—she didn’t want to further traumatize him by dragging him back into that awful place.
“I spent some time in the hospital. And not long after that, your grandfather and Uncle Wendell realized how bad things were. They helped me get a divorce. They also started looking for you.”
“Is it true that Owen’s my real dad?”
“It is.”
“Is he Troy’s dad too?”
“He is now.”
Augie nodded. “Okay.”
Addy looked at the cake she was icing, glad Augie hadn’t asked for more details. She used the spatula to smooth already-smoothed frosting. “What happened after they took you that day?”
Augie looked away. She saw his gaze bounce around the room and feared he was not going to answer. She braced herself.
“They took me to jail.”
“Jail?”
“Yeah. There were bars. I was the only one there at night. It was scary. They told me you were dead, you and Troy. They said if I tried to run away, they’d kill me too. They showed me clothes from you and Troy with bullet holes in them—and a lot of blood. I tried to get away anyhow. I had to know for myself, but I didn’t know where I was or where we lived. And there was no one around who could help. After a while, I stopped trying. That’s when they took me to live with other boys like me who’d lost their families. I learned to be a cub and live in a pride. Then Cec
il came to take me away. He put me with Lion’s pride. For a little while. Until he took me from there, too.”
Addy stopped what she was doing mid-stroke and looked at her son. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him from taking you.” Her eyes watered. “I was so scared for you.”
“I was scared in the beginning, too. But things got better when I went to that first pride. I wonder what happened to them.”
“You should talk to Dad about that. We have room here for them, if they can be found.”
Augie continued to sit on the stool, leaning over the counter to watch her. Addy was warmed by his presence. Since he’d returned, he’d spent most of his free time with the cubs. But little by little, he was finding moments to be with her, and they were slowly reestablishing their connection.
It was a treasure she didn’t mean to squander.
“Are you ready for school next week?”
“I guess. We aren’t a normal family, are we?”
She gave him a sad smile. “No. And to be honest, other than what I see on TV, I really have no idea what normal is.”
“Me either.”
Addy started to decorate the cake with yellow rosettes.
“Lion warned us there would be differences between us and others. He said he didn’t know what all those differences were, but that we would know them when we met them and that when we did, we were to keep quiet about our side of those differences.” He looked at her. “There are a lot of them, Mom.”
“I’m not surprised. But you know what? This stuff, these differences, they teach you about what you do and don’t like. And when you find things and people and situations that you do like, just do more of them.”
Augie was silent a long moment. “Do you like Dad?”
She nodded. “We were kids together. He was a lot older than me, but he would play with me as much as he could. We had the chickenpox together. I’ve loved him forever. And I couldn’t love him without liking him very, very much. So yes, I do.”
Addy changed tips on the icing tube. Augie reached for the discarded one to suck the icing out of it.
OWEN and ADDY_A RED TEAM WEDDING NOVELLA_THE RED TEAM, BOOK 14 Page 2
